Biography

Jim Frazier, a local small-business owner and developmental disabilities advocate, was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2012 to represent the 11th Assembly District. The 11th District encompasses portions of Solano, Contra Costa and Sacramento counties and includes the following cities, towns, and areas: Antioch, Bethel Island, Birds Landing, Brentwood, Byron, Collinsville, Discovery Bay, Fairfield, Isleton, Knightsen, Locke, Oakley, Pittsburg (partial), Rio Vista, Suisun City, Travis Air Force Base, Vacaville and Walnut Grove.

Assemblymember Frazier currently serves as Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, which oversees issues pertaining to Transit Authority, California Department of Transportation, California Highway Patrol, vehicles, aircraft, vessels, freight and shipping, licensing and registration and drivers licenses. On April 6, 2017 Chair Frazier led the effort to adopt Senate Bill 1, the historic transportation funding package to fix our roads and create tens of thousands of jobs. To ensure the funding is used for transportation projects, he authored Assembly Constitutional Amendment 5 (ACA 5).

Frazier became involved in public service after a family tragedy. On December 16, 2000, his two daughters were on their way to Lake Tahoe when they were in a head-on auto collision caused by black ice. The accident was fatal for his oldest daughter, and badly injured his younger daughter. Grief-stricken, Frazier worked to help prevent other families from undergoing the same painful experience. In his research, he learned there had been 143 accidents and numerous fatalities on the same two-mile stretch where his daughters' accident had occurred. Frazier succeeded in convincing Caltrans to widen the median and install a new pavement that would prevent black ice from forming on that part of the highway. This unfortunate tragedy sparked Frazier's interest in highway safety and transportation infrastructure improvements, which led to his further involvement in public service.

In 2008, after serving on the city's Planning Commission and as a Commissioner on the Contra Costa Transportation Authority's Citizen Advisory Committee, Frazier was elected to the Oakley City Council. He then served as Mayor of Oakley from 2011-2012. As a local government official, Frazier served as Chair of both TRANSPLAN and the State Route 4 Bypass Authority, and was a member of the E-BART Advisory Committee. He helped to deliver $83 million for Highway 4 Bypass improvements, creating 1,400 jobs; $50 million to fund Highway 160 improvements, creating 700 jobs; and $33 million to fund the Sand Creek Interchange. Frazier also successfully fought to open a first-of-its kind medical clinic in Oakley and helped build the area's first "all-abilities" playground for children with special needs. He received the Oakley Citizen of the Year Award, the Threads of Hope Award and the Bay Area Jefferson Award for Public Service.

Frazier joined the Legislature in 2012 and has worked tirelessly ever since to address the challenges Californians face with jobs and the economy, transportation, water and other important issues. In 2014, Frazier was appointed Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee. He is a member on the Assembly's Veterans Affairs Committee, the Accountability and Administration Review Committee, and the Insurance Committee, and serves as an Advisory Member of the State Public Works Board.

In 2017, Frazier was appointed Chair of the Select Committee on Improving Bay Area Transportation Systems. He also serves on the Select Committee on Regional Transportation Solutions; the Select Committee on Ports and Goods Movement; and the Joint Committee on Climate Change Policies. He represents California on the Council of State Government (CSG)-WEST’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Frazier serves as Co-Chair of the Delta Caucus and Legislative Outdoor Sporting Caucus and is a member of the Bay Area Caucus and Mental Health Caucus. He is a board member of the Delta Conservancy and is a strong advocate for protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. His continuous efforts are focused on protecting fish and wildlife, safeguarding farmers and their flourishing agricultural industry, promoting water conservation and improving water quality, responsibly managing land use and development, and preserving the environmental and economic viability of the Delta.

Since being elected, Frazier has made it his mission to be accessible to his constituents. To accomplish that, he has held numerous community coffees and mobile district office hours. In the coming years, Frazier's priorities will include the ongoing protection of the Delta, helping increase access to services for Veterans, maintaining funds for local public safety, funding efforts to expand programs for the special needs population and encouraging job creation.

Frazier’s list of awards and accomplishments include: 2017 California Transportation Foundation Elected Official of the Year, Director’s Special Recognition for Infrastructure Advocacy by American Society of Civil Engineers, 2016 Special Olympics Volunteer of the Year, 2016 AMVETS Legislator of the Year, 2015 Decoding Dyslexia: Assemblymember of the Year, 2015 California Transportation Foundation: Elected Official of the Year, 2015 Small Business Legislator of the year by California Small Business Association (CSBA) and California Small Business Roundtable (CSBR), 2015 CA Waterfowl Association, Grant Kenyon Award, Legislator of the Year, Appreciation Award: Sikh Communities of Napa and Solano Counties and Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District.

Assemblymember Frazier, who lives in Discovery Bay, is a long-time Delta resident.